Digital Marketing: Building a great social media strategy - by Kimberly Zar Bloorian

Keeping a low profile and staying under the radar is no longer an option in the New York-area commercial real estate industry. If you’re aiming to be a leader in the space, you need to have a strong digital presence. Although a property may not sell with just a ‘like’ or a loan may not close with a “comment” on Instagram, a consistent social media strategy can help establish your brand, build your credibility, and ensure you and your team are recognized as industry leaders.

Rather than list the endless reasons for building a social presence, let’s focus on four specific actions to implement:

• • Establish brand consistency: Consistency is key. Branding is key. Both can be very challenging (and not to mention time-consuming). Produce uniform content guidelines for your posts -- it helps to create a theme and it will help you be more consistent -- and zero in on a content strategy that makes sense.
• • Be engaging: Once you have your social branding down, it’s important to create and curate engaging content. A simple way to do this is to follow the rule of thirds: 1/3 of your content should promote your successes (i.e. spaces for lease, recent transactions), 1/3 of your content should establish your expertise (i.e. thoughts on the market, industry news) and 1/3 of you content should showcase your company’s culture (i.e. events, employee highlights).
• • Build a rapport: Social media is where the real conversation takes place. Where else do you have the chance to speak to thousands of clients and leads? Take time to respond to comments, message your followers, and engage with your audiences.
• • Frequently assess and adjust your strategy: Once you’ve started tracking your results and analyzing the data, use this information to reassess your strategy. You may not be able to determine whether a post has directly led to a deal, but you can evaluate what does and doesn’t work by measuring engagement and growth.

A great social media strategy is a constant work in progress and should change with emerging trends. With these tips, you can implement and improve your social media presence to establish your status as a leader within the CRE realm.

Kimberly Zar Bloorian is the founder and CEO of Kloud, New York, N.Y.